Experiments on the snowfall, temperature, and humidity to the Arctic summer snowstorm using ocean-ice couple model (POP2-CICE5) with JRA55-do and MERRA2 forcing

In the Arctic, short-lived summer snowstorms can provide snow cover that can increase surface reflectivity and heat capacity. Despite their potential importance, little research has been done to understand the impact of summer snowstorms on basin-scale Arctic sea ice cover. Our observational analysis shows that a summer snowstorm event is accompanied by cyclonic ice drift, increases in surface albedo and surface air cooling that can persist for up to ~2 weeks, dampening sea ice loss. Specifically, multiple snowstorm events in a summer, on average, results in net increase in sea ice extent of ~0.2×106 km2 by early September. Experiments with a sophisticated ice-ocean model framework indicate that the initial expansion of sea ice extent is driven by cyclonic wind-driven ice drifts driving sea ice southwards and increasing albedo around the summer ice edge, however the thermal effects from the associated snowfall and atmospheric conditions result in a stronger overall impact on basin-avera...